#11288 by Holly Brown
Sun Jul 05, 2009 6:46 pm
This is a classic craigslist tutor scam, received by a friend of mine who is an English teacher looking for tutoring work for the summer.
My friend was suspicious because (1) the amount offered per hour is more than he charges, (2) the grammar in the email was not consistent with a business person, and (3) he was being asked to send money to the “nanny” by Western Union. His wife told him she was sure it was a scam, but they couldn’t figure out what the scam was. She told him to ask me (I’m beginning to get a reputation among my friends
).
Here’s the scammer’s second email:
Here’s the scam: the cashier’s check will be a fake. If my friend deposited it in his bank account, the bank would make the money available to him within a few days. That doesn’t mean the check has actually cleared, however. US law requires that banks make funds available on checks within a certain amount of time, even if the checks have not been cleared through the issuing bank. In effect, the bank is loaning you the money until the check clears. If the issuing bank refused to honor the check, his bank would have taken back the $3650, and my friend would have been out $2650. He might also have found himself in trouble with the law, something a public school teacher does not want to have to deal with.
He asked me what he should do, as he had sent his resume (which includes his home address and phone number). I told him to (1) stop communicating with the scammer; (2) if he gets the check he can take it to the Post Office for them to investigate where it came from, shred or otherwise destroy it, or write “FAKE” on it in big bold letters and keep it as a reminder; and (3) be very careful who he deals with and how they pay him.
From: "dave darry" <[email protected]>
To: <removed>
Date: Sun, 5 Jul 2009 04:08:39 -0700
Subject: Re: Part Time English Teacher
Hello xxx
Thanks for replying back to my online job posting, requiring your tutorial service,I would like to make a tutoring arrangement between you and my 10 year old son for the month of August 2009, I would like you to tutor him within a period of 1 month, on a schedule basis of 1hr Daily, 5 times weekly, totaling 20 times in a month. I am willing to pay $50/hr. I would like to use these medium to inform you that my son does not live in US, he would be flying from london,United Kingdom,I want you to teach him during his 1 month stay in the US, if there is need to extend your services, an ammedment would be made to your salary and you will be notified. He would be dropped off/picked up by his nanny during the hours of teaching at any location you want the Tutoring to take place in your area.I will send you my US cashiers check of $3650 which i bought the last time i came to the US.I will write the check payable to your name so you could cash it at your bank.I am sending you that much money because am taking all the cash i have at hand now to my father's place for the payment of his hospital bill and other expenses because he is currenlty sick and i will be travelling to see him.The cashiers check is for U.S which is cashable at your bank and its not cashable here in UK,The check will be for the cost of the tutorial services you are rendering and the flight ticket of my son's Nanny.Regarding this I hope i can trust you with these payments,As soon as you receive the check, take it to the bank and cash it,deduct your payment which should be $50 per hour X 20 Times a Month = $1000,Then send the balance of the money to my son's Nanny through western union money transfer,My sons nanny will be contacting you later with further arrangements and instructions regarding pickup/drop off of my son to the venue where you would always teach him. So i hope i can trust you that you will teach my son good academics and the money to be sent to the Nanny for her flight ticket.
Email me your name,address and phone# so that i can write the cheque payable to your name and send to you as soon as possible.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Thanks
Dave
My friend was suspicious because (1) the amount offered per hour is more than he charges, (2) the grammar in the email was not consistent with a business person, and (3) he was being asked to send money to the “nanny” by Western Union. His wife told him she was sure it was a scam, but they couldn’t figure out what the scam was. She told him to ask me (I’m beginning to get a reputation among my friends
).Here’s the scammer’s second email:
Hello xxx
Thanks for getting back to me and also being interested in tutoring my 10 year old son.I want you to know that while my son is coming over to the states,its the nanny that will be bringing him over and also taking care of him,so the nanny will get an apartment somewhere around the venue of the tutorial.i beleive you will impact knowledge in him.I want you to know that being a teacher you should be the one to know where the tutoring will be taking place.So i want you to get back to me with your schedule on the days and time you choose to teach him and also where the tutoring will be taking place either a cafe or a library somewhere around you.I will let you know as soon as i send the payment down by tuesday
Thanks
Dave
Here’s the scam: the cashier’s check will be a fake. If my friend deposited it in his bank account, the bank would make the money available to him within a few days. That doesn’t mean the check has actually cleared, however. US law requires that banks make funds available on checks within a certain amount of time, even if the checks have not been cleared through the issuing bank. In effect, the bank is loaning you the money until the check clears. If the issuing bank refused to honor the check, his bank would have taken back the $3650, and my friend would have been out $2650. He might also have found himself in trouble with the law, something a public school teacher does not want to have to deal with.
He asked me what he should do, as he had sent his resume (which includes his home address and phone number). I told him to (1) stop communicating with the scammer; (2) if he gets the check he can take it to the Post Office for them to investigate where it came from, shred or otherwise destroy it, or write “FAKE” on it in big bold letters and keep it as a reminder; and (3) be very careful who he deals with and how they pay him.
[email protected] if you want to ask me more questions.
